Market Tavern
Traditional pub in the Market Place at the heart of the city, serving pub classics with a selection of ales, lagers and ciders.
About Market Tavern
The Market Tavern stands right in Durham's Market Place, at the very centre of the old city, with a quaint frontage and a characterful, traditional interior. It is a well-placed spot for a drink or a meal while exploring the surrounding streets, shops and market hall, and keeps a convivial, homely atmosphere.
Inside there is a wood-burning stove and a range of well-kept ales, craft lagers and ciders, complemented by classic British pub food. The pub is dog friendly and keeps long opening hours through the week. Its position on the Market Place, moments from the river and the peninsula, makes it one of the more visible and accessible traditional pubs in the heart of Durham.
Featured in These Guides
Blog posts and guides that feature Market Tavern.
Christmas Lights Switch-On in Durham 2026
Durham Christmas Sparkle, the city's Christmas lights switch-on, is on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 5pm to 6.15pm in the Market Place. It is free, run by Durham BID, and falls the weekend before the Christmas Festival.
The Oldest Pubs in Durham
Durham's historic pubs run from a 15th-century inn to a famously haunted tavern and a Victorian time capsule. A tour of the oldest and most characterful pubs in the city.
The Best Pubs in Durham
Durham is a city of historic inns and well-kept cask ale. Our guide to the best traditional pubs in Durham, from a fifteenth-century inn to a preserved Victorian gem.
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What's On
Durham Jazz Festival 2026
See booking, performance times vary · Venues across Durham city centre, including the Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA
John Lydon: I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right
7:30 PM · Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club presents The Ronnie Scott's Soho Songbook
8:00 PM - 10:30 PM · Redhills, Durham Miners' Hall, Flass Street, Durham, DH1 4BE